Mario Cartaya’s architectural vision has given rise to 100 public buildings 35 years into his career.
Mario Cartaya’s company, Cartaya & Associates, shaped much of the South Florida landscape with a portfolio that includes the airport in Fort Lauderdale, where the architect is based, and Miramar City Hall.
The 62-year-old Cartaya began his work in the field as an architecture student at the University of Florida, and kicked off a career drawing up plans for other architects, the Sun Sentinel reported. One of his first designs was a house for former Governor of Florida Bob Graham. Since then, he’s become known for delivering “realistic” buildings on budget for Broward and Palm Beach counties, according to industry colleagues.
“Mario is different,” David Lowery, director of public projects for Fort Lauderdale developer Stiles Corporation, told the Sun. “He sees a project as not just what’s pretty on paper, but ‘I actually can build that for the money I’ve got.'” Caraya’s latest building, the Broward County Courthouse, is currently under construction. [Sun Sentinel] — Angela Hunt